


Shovel of Hope

by The_Goose_Knight



Category: Shovel Knight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:35:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Goose_Knight/pseuds/The_Goose_Knight
Summary: A short story detailing Shovel Knight's return to The Valley, and the opposition he faces
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	Shovel of Hope

Shovel Knight hesitated as he surmounted the final hill that stood between him and the entrance to the Valley. Pausing to catch his breath, he surveyed The Valley that now spread out below him like an unfurled map. His gaze passed over a gleaming castle, volcanic ruins, and a flying airship to settle on a tower far, far in the distance. The Tower of Fate. Were anyone to peer underneath his trademark horned helmet at that moment, they would see a pair of bright blue eyes narrow at the sight. That tower, that damned tower claimed his beloved Shield Knight, stopping any rescue efforts with impassible gates. Although now, if the rumors were to be believed, and Shovel Knight desperately hoped they were, those dark gates were open. Shovel Knight sighed, beginning the arduous trek down from his vantage point onto the green plains below.

"Ha! Back you bonehead!" Shovel Knight shouted as he slammed the edge of his trusty shovel blade into the boneclangs head, sending it flying into a nearby wall. This, unfortunately, did little to stop his undead attacker. With a clattering of bones it rushed him, swinging its cutlass wildly in an attempt to slash it's aqua assailant. Catching the boneclang's sword on the hilt of his shovel, Shovel Knight grabbed what was left of its neck and yanked, spinning to perform a perfect circle throw, hurling the boneclang into the pit of spikes behind him. The deadly tips instantly began breaking apart what was left of it's brittle body, leaving Shovel Knight alone in the spacious cavern. 

Taking a small breather after the brawl, he couldn't help but notice the wall next to him was flimsy, more a heap of rocks than a stable wall. Such walls were happily sought out by adventurers, typically containing a small treasure trove of gold and gems. Shovel Knight, while putting less value on gold than others of his ilk, nonetheless enjoyed the feel of a heavy purse. However, as he started forward, his mind turned from the promise of loot to the one he had lost, as unbidden memories of Shield Knight filled his mind. 

_Her tan hair glowing in the firelight as they recounted their best moves in battle that day, the first time he got to see her shields in action, the way she tenderly cared for all those around her, the years they had spent training together under the fearsome Polar Knight._

__Was he really going to pause in his quest to find her, for a few pieces of gold nonetheless! He would certainly need coin for his journey, but such a remote location would offer little amounts of treasure. Shame filled his body as he thought of how, if positions were reversed, Shield Knight would not pause for a second. Not until she knew for certain what his fate was. Steeling his resolve, he committed to do the same for his beloved. Shaking his head to put the treasure out of his mind, he leapt across the pit and out of the cavern to continue the journey for his beloved._ _

__

__And continue it he did, letting nothing stand in his way as he slashed through blorbs, beetos, and the occasional diverdrake, ever pushing onward. That is, until he happened to break through some dirt blocks beneath him, allowing him to plummet straight down to land in the lair of a sleeping dozedrake. Shovel Knight's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected visit, allowing the dozedrake to awake to the pleasant sight of a bite-sized snack standing in front of it._ _

__

__

____Spewing a volley of giant bubbles, the dozedrake shambled forward, jaws wide to chow down on the pint-sized hero. Sliding under the triad of dangerous bubbles and leaping over the impending jaws of death, Shovel Knight jumped up to perform his most famous attack. The Shovel Drop. Bouncing over the dozedrake's scaly noggin, he propelled himself across it's back, and made a speedy exit away from the drowsy giant._ _ _ _

____The next hour dissolved into the heat of battle. Shovel Knight battled through hordes of blorbs, smacked a boneclang here and there, and generally swept through the inhabitants of the Plains like they were nothing. The joy of adventuring after living a quiet life for so long roused Shovel Knight from his grief, spreading a warm spark of exhilaration throughout his entire body. Oh what a joy it was to be adventuring again! To pit himself against a foe and emerge victorious! Too long he had sat and wallowed in his grief, action was already beginning to purge the self-doubt from his soul. He would not feel whole again until Shield Knight was back at his side, but it was a start. A good start. And if he had to give up his life in the process, that would be the price he had to pay for failing his closest partner. He was shaken out of this introspection by a cold cruel voice cutting through the silence of the Plains._ _ _ _

____"I knew you'd show your face sooner or later. The cerulean coward! Turn back, Shovel Knight! There's nothing here for you anymore."_ _ _ _

____Shovel Knight looked up in surprise, eyes confirming what his ears detected. His old rival, Black Knight, stood before him._ _ _ _

____Determined to avoid a fight, Shovel Knight called out, "Stand aside, Black Knight! I've no quarrel with you. I must return to the Tower of Fate!"_ _ _ _

____"Your time away has dulled your senses... can't you see? This entire valley has been conquered by the Enchantress! And her invincible knights of the Order of No Quarter stand between you and the tower! But none of that matters, because anyone after the Enchantress has to go through me. Steel thy shovel!" Black Knight snarled, readying his shovel blade and launching himself at the cobalt crusader._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Shovel Knight had no time to protest this clash, bringing the shaft of his shovel blade up to block Black Knight slash, responding with a kick to the sternum. Without missing a beat, Black Knight leaped backwards, firing a bolt of purple energy as the crusader's outstretched leg. The bolt struck home, flinging Shovel Knight to the ground, pain crawling up his leg. Panting, he readied himself for Black Knight's next attack. Which was quick to arrive, as Black Knight flung himself upwards to come crashing down in his variation of the shovel drop. Dodging to the side, Shovel Knight slammed his shovel into the side of Black Knight's helmet, knocking him to the ground. Black Knight flipped over as he hit the ground, landing with braced knees. Snarling, Black Knight again launched himself at the sapphire soldier._ _ _ _

____And so the battle waned on, the sounds of clashing metal ringing throughout the Plains. Shovel Knight noted that although it had been some time since he and Black Knight had sparred, his style remained the same. Arrogant, pompous, Black Knight took the time to laugh when Shovel Knight took a hit. And like those old matches, Shovel Knight began to beat Black Knight back. Utilizing his more advanced shovel drop, Shovel Knight was able to evade and counter-attack any time Black Knight closed the distance between them._ _ _ _

____He was not the only one who could learn and adapt, however. Black Knight began relying on his energy attacks more and more. He would bait out a shovel drop before firing a bolt straight upwards, forcing Shovel Knight to perform a complicated midair dodge. The battle took on a bait-and-switch style, with both combatants hesitant to overextend in their assault. Wracking his mind for a way to overcome Black Knight’s defense, a battle they shared from the past stood out..._ _ _ _

_____"Ghah! Damn this infernal blacksmith!" Black Knight cried out as the fiery giant slammed its hammer into the ground, sending shockwaves rumbling throughout the mountain and knocking Black Knight to one knee. Taking advantage of it's assailant's weakened state, the giant readied the mirror-like shield attached to it's left arm, blasting a red shock-wave towards the weakened knight. The attack sped towards the downed knight, only to be blocked by a giant, red, shield._____

___ _

____"Come on Black Knight! You're gonna let a little tremor like that get you down?" Shield Knight teased, offering a hand and a smile to her downed friend. Rejecting the assistance with a snarl, Black Knight launched himself up into the air, firing off a triple-volley of purple energy blasts at the giant's head. Not pausing to see whether the attack connected, Black Knight raced towards one of the monstrosity's column-sized legs, shovel outstretched for a mighty swing. Only to be tackled from the side by a familiar blue friend. Before Black Knight could lay Shovel Knight out for compromising his attack, his energy blasts slammed into the ground he had been approaching on, being reflected by the giant's mirror-like shield._ _ _ _

______Shovel Knight sighed, regulating his breathing to calm himself down. He knew what he had to do to win. Taking a moment to ready himself, he dashed straight towards Black Knight, shovel at the ready to end the conflict. As he hoped, Black Knight dodged backwards, launching a bolt of dark energy to deter any pursuit. Bracing himself, Shovel Knight caught the bolt of energy on his shovel, and _flung_ it back at his old friend. Black Knight's eyes widened underneath his helmet as his deflected attack slammed into his chest, slamming into the ground, knocking the breath from his lungs and the shovel from his hand.__ _ _ _ _

________"Ghah, dammit." Black Knight coughed out. "You may have bested me this time Shovel Knight, but the Order of No Quarter protects the Enchantress just as fervently as I."  
________

___ _

___Before Shovel Knight could question this worrying statement, his enigmatic enemy launched forward, scooping up his shovel and dashing away into the surrounding forest._ _ _

________"Black Knight, wait!" Shovel Knight called out. He needed to know what was going on. Who was this Enchantress that Black Knight spoke of, and why was he so concerned with protecting her? The sound of this, "Order of No Quarter" group concerned Shovel Knight as well. The Valley was mostly peaceful when he and Shield Knight had started towards the Tower, but in their absence anything could've happened._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Examining his armor and wounds, Shovel Knight found nothing especially worrying, and so continued on. He knew Pridemoor Village should be just past the Plains, there he could find some real information. Wasting no time, Shovel Knight started towards the Village, impatient for answers, wishing fervently that Shield Knight was by his side._ Shovel Knight sighed in relief as he plopped down next to his makeshift campfire. His injuries, while not especially threatening, slowed him enough that he was forced to camp on the fringes of the Plains. Looking towards the stars, he couldn't help but choke up. He and Shield Knight had shared this view many, many nights. They provided the setting for some of his warmest memories, and gave his younger self much coveted alone time with the beautiful bruiser. Sighing, Shovel Knight resolved to put such memories out of his mind till the journey's conclusion. No need to cause unnecessary pain. It was best to try and get some sleep, it sounded like he would need all the rest he could get... _______

__

___He was on an ashen plane, a white haze obscuring all space around him. None of this concerned Shovel Knight, for his gaze was focused like a laser on the figure high above him. Shield Knight, falling like an angel from the heavens towards him. As enemies crowded around the love-struck knight, his gaze was drawn to his plummeting partner. Swinging his shovel around him, Shovel Knight cleared enough space to leap up, fingers gracing his beloved's armor as the world dissolved into pure white light..._ _ _

__

__And he awoke, pulse racing, the imprint of his partner's face lingering in his vision before fading into the soft dawn of his campsite. With shaky hands Shovel Knight covered the embers of his campsite, heart heavy. The dreams had returned, and Shovel Knight knew not whether to welcome or despise their arrival. Steeling his resolve, Shovel Knight set out for Pridemoor Village under the light of the rising sun._ _

**Author's Note:**

> And so, my first published story! I would love to hear criticism of any kind, It's a little nerve-wracking to imagine how this will be received, so thank you for reading till the end!  
> (p.s, theres been some trouble with the emphasis tag to get sections italicized, and I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. For one section _and_ work, but not on any of the others I'd like to italicize, which hurts the overall effect of the flashback and the dream section. Any writers who happen to read this, I'd really appreciate some help)


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